Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-01-20
SECOND BIENNIAL MESSAGE
Jeremiah NJ. Rusk
GOVERNOR OF WISCONSIN.
To he Honorable, The Legislature!

denca and / CONGRATULATE you upon the many
hopeful signs OF a continuation for the future.
New discoveries have been maze anu new N nelds
and the prospects that the resources OF the State
will be greatly developed during the coming year,
are gratifying in the extreme. Mhlle thus con.
graduating you upon our material pr greSs, IL IS
with deep regret that am competed 10 report,
that during the past year the peace OF our state
has in few instances, been interrupted by
strikes and riots Of greater magnitude, of more
violence, and farther reaching In their conse-
duences, than ever before. In this connection,
YOU are reminded that 1t will be your duty, as
legislators to look carefully into the causes Of
these troubles, and wherein our laws for the pre-
yention Of wrongdoing, or the punishment OF,
wrong-doers, are found 10 be defective, il will be
your duty to perfect them by such new legislation
as recent experience and reasonable antcipatons
for the future may indicate to be required While
your own intelligence, AIDED by your lnyesliga-
lions and discussions will, have no doubt, lead
you to a satisfactory solution of all the problems
involved in this subject yet may be induiged 10
few suggest ions, which hope viii not be found
either impairment or unwarranted.
The discussion of the labor and capital ques.
ton has become so extensive, has taken such
wide range, and is being participated IN by soi
many people representing such diversity OF
views and interests, that it Is not strange IT, at
this stage OF The discuss on, there is more CON
fusion Than cearneSs Of thought upon IT, To
eliminate from all this confusion and controversy
what is essential concrete and practicable, and IN
accord with those principles OF justice upon.
which all good government is founded, aud EN-.
body it in effective law, is no light nor trivial
task
Il seems to me that a very important-I might
say, vital-fact in this great agitation has so far
been almost lost sight of, namely: That large
majority Of the people Of every city and every
State where the labor troubles have existed, and
an overwhelming majority of the whole people,
IRE not directly parties to the controversy at all
The contention is Between employees and employ
ers, and both classes combined are but minority
fraction of the whole people, whose peace and
interests are interrupted and their rights violated
bv these unseernly and unnecessary disturbances
ig fhA oh md of IS.
the great majofity-to step In and say not only
'let us have peace, " but we VIII have peace
and through The law ald lawfully constituted
authorities to see TO il that we do have peace,
and that disturbers are promptly and properly
punished.
In few communities, comparatigely, there are
large bodies OF workmen, or l'b1rers, who voun
tarily choose to WORK for Others for wages These
by general usage, are called " worSmgmen.' But
they are not the only Wurklpgmen - not he only
laborers in the couutry. The great mag Jllty Ut
our people are workers, with hands or brdiu' or
both, and TO ali suca belongs equally the p oud
title of laborer. But farther, a majority OF the
whole number who do manual productive lator,
employ themsei YES, plan for th-m'elTes,
work for themselves and take the whole
product Of their labor to themselves and
lind market for their surplus when and a.
they can. This great independent, self reliant
majority is the bone and sinew, the pride and
glory of good citizenship. Among them there
are no strikes riots no Interference with the
opportunities, liberties and rights of others That
their rights and their interests should be leopar-
died by the restless contentious ot q small mi
uority who rdiculously assume that they are the
only idbOrers of the country, is wrong too man
ifest to be much longer endured. If the parties
to these overcoming disturbances cannot ma
way of amicably settling their disputes, they
must be made TO submit to such legal arbitration
as will at least protect the peace and dignity OF
civilized commonwealth.
In indicating that some additional legislation
may be required touching the rights OF a6orers
of all classes, and their mutual relations to each
other, only the most promi tent fundamental piln-
ciples OF natural liberty and puar government
need be alluded to.
II has already been assumed that where per-
son employs himself and works on his own prem
ises and on his own material, with his own tools,
the product OF his labor is all his own TO do with
as he sees fit. That he must be protected in the
fun enjoyment of all the fruit OF his judgment
labor and skill, 1t does not require argument 10
convince us. 1t is selfevident. But where one
person engages to work for another, on another
premises and material, and with anothers tools
Or machinery, it is equally clear that the prodGct
belongs 10 the employer; the workmans clam
ends with the receipt of his stipulated wages. The
States duty and province in such cases Is simply
u maintain individual rights and enforce the
iulhllment of contracts Eyeryones right 70
work for himself, or for any one else, ON such
terms as he may choose to make. must be main
tanned at all hazards. He who interferes with
this principle, trampes upon the most sacred oL
human rights and upon consecrated principle OF
Government should not be-indeed cannot af
ford to be-indinerent to the welfare Of any class
of citizens; and it is special duty to protect the
poor and weak against any possible aggression OF
the rich and strong. To tllis END, al the rlgnts
and interests of worklngmen of the wage classes
should be- jeai0usly guarded against injustice or
oppression at the hands Of their employers. Cor.
poratons created by authority OF the state, thar
in the nature Of their business must be large eI-
ployers of labor or that from the nature OF their
business and their charges for service may largely
affect the value of the product or labor generally
TO the producer, must be held 20 strict and Just
accountability, and be subject always to the con-
troll and regulation of the state.
With those agrarian and socalistIc theories Of
fanciful society that deny the right OF private
property or Of each individual to full protection
in the enjoyment and control of all his LAWFUL
earnings, whether obtained by his own labor or
by contract, we can have no sympathy. Ihey
are as un-American as monarchy, and as treason
able as secession. They contemplate the destruc-
ton OF both justice and liberty. and would accom-
plish the destruction Of both if their application
TO existing society were seriously attempted We
are not prepared, as American citizens, to even
consider a change in our form OF government
Republican institutions and individual liberty 70
aand in hand and must be and Will be loyalty
maintained
The finances OF the state are in q satisfactory
condition No tax has been levied upon the coun'
lies for the past three years for defrayng the eN'
penses Of the State government. In the previous
Two years a lax was levied and collected from tn
several counties amounting q 5000, tyi43, Tor
State purposes Notwithstanding tha large ap
DropratOns made by the last legislature.
amounting to about 100000, all Of which came
out Of the General fund, there remained bal.
period September 80 1885, rs shown by the re
port of the Secretary Of State, Of SiS5 tS9e3
These appropriations and the expenses OF tho
state government were paid without lsgying a
tax upon the counties. The report OF the Secre-
;ary Of State furnishes a detailed statement OF
he receipts and disbursements Of the severa'
funds and the cost Of maintaining the state gov
eminent. Unless the Legislature shall make adj
1itiOnal appropriations, above the ordinary eN
penses of the Legislative, Judicial and Executive
Departments, no necessity will exist Tor proYli
ing for any tax levy for the next two years
TRUST FUNDS.
The productive School fund, on the 3Oth day o.
September 1856. amounted TO S2,91s, llS Al, anG
there was 10 the credit Of the fund, IN the treas
ury, on that day, S37,2JlQG The School tund
income for the biennial period was Sse5, ~ y
including the one mill tax, amounting to SIS
96l, and apportioued TO the several coln
ties upon the number Of children OF school age
The productive University fund, bearing inter
est. on the Both day Of September, 1886, amountet
20 SigO99S So and the balance on hand 70 th'
credit Of the fund. on that day, was 81 ,oo2 -
The University fund income, fer the biennls
period amounted 10 S2i4 t20.sl.
The agricultural College fund, bearing interest,"
OF the Both day OF September, 1886, was SIS.
tg1.14, and the balance on hand in the treasur,
was S5S,'530i. The Agricultural College fund y
come was So, 800 81 for The two years.
Z D., aslf no